7 Best Tips for Geting Perfect Rowing Technique

As a manufacturer of rowing machines, we've spent countless hours perfecting our rowing machines and studying the biomechanics of rowing. After years of research and collaboration with rowing coaches, we've developed a deep understanding of what makes for perfect rowing technique. Today, we are excited to share this knowledge with you to help you get the most out of your Merachfit rowing machine.

When we first began designing our rowing machines, we quickly realized that proper technique isn't just about performance—it's all about a safe, effective, and enjoyable rowing experience. Let us guide you through everything you need to know to row like a pro, even if you're just starting out.

Why Mastering Proper Rowing Technique Matters

Before we dive into the specifics, let's understand why technique is so crucial in rowing:

Injury Prevention: According to a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, proper rowing technique can reduce injury risk by up to 65%. Many new rowers experience lower back pain simply because of improper form.

Maximum Efficiency: With correct form, you'll engage approximately 86% of your muscles in the correct sequence, making rowing one of the most comprehensive exercises available.

Better Results: Research from the American College of Sports Medicine shows that proper rowing technique can increase calorie burn by up to 35% compared to rowing with poor form.

Enjoyable Experience: When you row correctly, you'll experience that smooth, rhythmic motion that makes rowing almost meditative—what experienced rowers call "finding your flow."

The Seven Key Elements of Perfect Rowing Technique

At Merachfit, we've broken down the perfect rowing stroke into seven key elements. Master these, and you'll transform your rowing experience:

1. Handle and Wrist Position

Proper Form:

• Handle should be pulled in right below your chest
• Hands should grip the outsides of the handle
• Wrists should remain flat (not bent)
• Elbows should go out and back

Common Mistakes:

• "T-Rex arms" (elbows only going back)
• Elbows only going out (causing chest to cave inward)
• Bent wrists (causing strain and reducing power)

Why It Matters: Proper handle position ensures you're activating your back muscles correctly and preventing wrist strain. Many beginners pull too high (toward their neck) or too low (toward their stomach), which reduces effectiveness and can lead to shoulder or wrist problems.

Pro Tip: Imagine you're trying to squeeze a lemon between your shoulder blades as you pull the handle toward your lower ribs.

2. Optimal Layback Position

Proper Form:

• Aim for an "11 o'clock" or "1 o'clock" layback position
• Shoulders should be slightly behind your hips
• Abs should remain engaged and tight
• Back should be straight, not rounded

Common Mistakes:

• Leaning too far back (beyond the 11-1 o'clock position)
• Not engaging core muscles during layback
• Rounding the lower back

Why It Matters: The proper layback position maximizes power while protecting your lower back. According to physiotherapy research, excessive layback is one of the leading causes of rowing-related back injuries.

Pro Tip: Practice this position by sitting on your Merachfit rower without moving, just finding that perfect 11-1 o'clock position where you feel your core engaged but not strained.

3. Handle Push Down (The Return)

Proper Form:

• Push the handle down and away as arms extend
• Keep arms straight as you hinge forward at the hips
• Handle should clear your knees before you bend them

Common Mistakes:

• Carrying the handle high during the return
• Bending the knees before the handle passes over them
• Breaking the sequence (arms, body, legs)

Why It Matters: This technique prevents the common "knees-handle collision" and allows your arm and shoulder muscles to relax during the recovery phase, preventing early fatigue.

Pro Tip: Think of drawing a straight line from your finish position to the front of the machine as you extend your arms and lean forward.

4. Complementary Body Angle Forward

Proper Form:

• If you had an 11 o'clock layback, aim for a 1 o'clock forward angle
• If you had a 1 o'clock layback, aim for an 11 o'clock forward angle
• Maintain a straight back with hips hinged forward
• Feel a slight stretch in the hamstrings

Common Mistakes:

• Rounding the back to reach further
• Not hinging from the hips (bending at the waist instead)
• Inconsistent body angles from stroke to stroke

Why It Matters: The proper forward angle sets you up for a powerful drive phase while protecting your back and engaging your hamstrings and core properly.

Pro Tip: Practice this position in front of a mirror or take a video of yourself rowing from the side to check your angles.

5. Hands High at the Catch

Proper Form:

• Keep hands in line with the chain/strap
• Hands should be relatively high at the front end
• Wrists flat, not drooping
• Feel a nice stretch in your lats (back muscles)

Common Mistakes:

• Hands too low at the catch
• Steep angle between shoulders and hands
• Disconnected first few inches of the drive

Why It Matters: High hands at the catch position ensure you're connected to the stroke from the very beginning, allowing you to engage your powerful back muscles immediately.

Pro Tip: The angle between your arms and torso should not be too steep—if your hands are significantly lower than your shoulders, you're likely missing power at the start of your drive.

6. Legs First While Maintaining Body Angle

Proper Form:

• Drive with legs first while maintaining your forward body angle
• For every inch the seat moves, the handle should move the same amount
• Keep arms straight until legs are almost extended
• Maintain forward body angle until legs are nearly straight

Common Mistakes:

• "Shooting the slide" (legs extending faster than handle moves)
• Opening the back too early (before legs are almost straight)
• Breaking the arms too early

Why It Matters: This is perhaps the most challenging element to master, but it's crucial for generating maximum power. Research shows that the leg drive accounts for approximately 60% of the power in a rowing stroke.

Pro Tip: Practice this element with "legs-only" rowing drills, where you focus solely on pushing with your legs while keeping your body angle and arms unchanged.

7. Acceleration Through the Hips

Proper Form:

• After legs are almost straight, accelerate through a powerful body swing
• Feel your hips, glutes, and core activate during the swing
• Keep arms straight during the body swing
• Pull with arms at the very end to complete the stroke

Common Mistakes:

• Making the arm pull its own aggressive motion
• Swinging back without acceleration
• Not engaging the core during the swing

Why It Matters: This final element is where you generate that powerful finish to your stroke. The acceleration through the hips transforms a good rowing stroke into a great one.

Pro Tip: The arm pull should feel like a natural continuation of the body swing, not a separate motion.

Practice Drill: Building the Perfect Stroke Sequence

Here's a drill we recommend to all new Merachfit customers, if you are using our R50, to help internalize the correct stroke sequence:

The "Pick Drill" - Building Your Stroke From Finish to Full

Start at the finish position:

1. Arms Only (1 minute): Start at the finish position (arms bent, handle at lower ribs) and practice just extending arms and pulling them back in. Focus on flat wrists and proper handle position.

2. Arms and Body (1 minute): Add the body movement. Arms out, body swing forward, then body swing back, arms pull in. Focus on that 11-1 o'clock body angle.

3. Full Stroke (1 minute): Add the legs. Complete sequence: arms out, body forward, bend legs, then push legs, swing body, pull arms.

4. Pause Drill (1 minute): Row full strokes but add a deliberate pause at the "arms and body" position during the recovery. This reinforces the correct sequence: arms, body, legs on the recovery; legs, body, arms on the drive.

Recommended Settings:

• For beginners: Use a lower damper setting (3-4 on a Merachfit rower)
• For this drill: Aim for 16-20 strokes per minute to focus on form

This drill sequence has helped thousands of our customers develop muscle memory for the perfect rowing stroke. Practice it 2-3 times per week, and you'll see dramatic improvements in your technique.

A Good Stroke Rate for Beginners

One question we frequently hear from our new Merachfit customers is: "How fast should I be rowing?" The answer depends on your experience level and goals.

Experience Level	Recommended Stroke Rate	Primary Focus	Training Goal
Complete Beginner	16-20 strokes/minute	Technique mastery	Building proper form habits
Early Intermediate	20-22 strokes/minute	Consistent form	Building endurance
Intermediate	22-26 strokes/minute	Power application	Building strength & endurance
Advanced	26-32+ strokes/minute	Performance	Building speed & power

 

Important Note: Higher stroke rates are not always better! Professional rowers typically train at lower stroke rates (18-22) for most of their workouts, focusing on power per stroke rather than stroke frequency. Only during racing or specific high-intensity intervals do they increase to 30+ strokes per minute.

As a beginner, I strongly recommend staying between 16-20 strokes per minute for your first few weeks. This slower pace allows you to focus on your technique before adding speed. Remember, proper form at a slower pace is always better than poor form at a faster pace.

Common Beginner Mistakes and How to Fix Them

In my years of working with Merachfit customers, I've noticed several common technique issues that beginners face:

1. "Shooting the Slide"

What it is: Extending your legs fully before engaging your back and arms, causing a momentary disconnection in the stroke.

How to fix it: Practice the "legs-body-arms" sequence deliberately. Try counting "1-2-3" as you drive back, with "1" being legs, "2" being body swing, and "3" being arms.

Pro Tip: For every inch your seat moves back, your handle should move the same distance.

2. "Early Arm Bend"

What it is: Bending your arms too early during the drive phase instead of keeping them straight until your legs are nearly extended.

How to fix it: Practice rowing with a light resistance band looped around your wrists to remind you to keep arms straight during leg drive.

Pro Tip: Think of your arms as "hooks" connecting your body to the handle during the leg drive—they shouldn't do work yet.

3. "The Hunched Catch"

What it is: Rounding your back at the catch position to reach further forward.

How to fix it: Focus on hinging from the hips rather than bending at the waist. Only go as far forward as you can while maintaining a flat back.

Pro Tip: If you feel your lower back rounding, you've gone too far forward—back up slightly until you can maintain proper posture.

4. "Rushing the Recovery"

What it is: Coming forward too quickly after finishing the drive phase.

How to fix it: Practice the "pick drill" mentioned earlier, and remember the recovery should be about twice as slow as the drive.

Pro Tip: Think "quick drive, slow return" as your mantra.

How Long Until Technique Becomes Natural?

According to motor learning research, it takes approximately 2,000-3,000 repetitions to develop muscle memory for a complex movement pattern like the rowing stroke. For most beginners, this translates to about:

• 8-10 dedicated practice sessions of 20-30 minutes
• 2-3 weeks of consistent rowing (3-4 times per week)

However, great improvements can be seen within just 3-4 sessions if you're focusing on technique using the drills outlined in this article.

Don't get discouraged if it feels awkward at first! Even Olympic rowers continually refine their technique throughout their careers. At Merachfit, we believe rowing is a journey of continuous improvement, not a destination.

Sample Beginner Workout to Practice Technique

Here's a simple 20-minute workout we recommend to newbies to practice technique while building fitness:

Warm-up (5 minutes):

• 1 minute: Arms only rowing
• 1 minute: Arms and body
• 3 minutes: Full strokes at 18-20 SPM (strokes per minute)

Technique Intervals (10 minutes):

• 1 minute: Pause at the "arms and body" position during recovery
• 1 minute: Continuous rowing at 20 SPM
• 1 minute: Pause at the "arms and body" position during recovery
• 1 minute: Continuous rowing at 20 SPM
• 1 minute: Pause at the "arms and body" position during recovery
• 1 minute: Continuous rowing at 20 SPM
• 4 minutes: Continuous rowing at 20-22 SPM, focusing on applying technique

Workout Finisher (3 minutes):

• 30 seconds: Row at 25 SPM with 80% effort
• 30 seconds: Row at 30 SPM with 90% effort
• 1 minute: Light recovery rowing
• 30 seconds: Row at 25 SPM with 80% effort
• 30 seconds: Row at 30 SPM with 90% effort

Cool-down (2 minutes):

• Light, easy rowing focusing on perfect form

This workout helps you practice proper technique while gradually introducing higher intensity and stroke rates. It's the perfect balance of technique work and fitness development.

Breathing Technique for Optimal Rowing

Proper breathing enhances your rowing performance significantly. Research from the Oxford University Rowing Program indicates that synchronized breathing can improve rowing efficiency by up to 17%.

we recommend beginners use this breathing pattern:

• Exhale during the drive phase (as you push and pull)
• Inhale during the recovery phase (as you return to the starting position)

This pattern helps stabilize your core during the power phase and provides oxygen when your muscles need it most.

As you become more advanced, you may develop a multi-breath pattern, especially at higher stroke rates, but the principle remains the same: exhale during effort, inhale during recovery.

The Science Behind Proper Rowing Technique

Understanding the "why" behind proper technique can help motivate you to maintain good form. Here are some science-backed benefits:

Biomechanical Efficiency: Studies show that proper sequencing of the rowing stroke (legs-back-arms) utilizes your strongest muscle groups in the optimal order, generating up to 40% more power than improper sequencing.

Energy Conservation: Research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that rowers with proper technique used 15-20% less oxygen to generate the same amount of power compared to those with poor technique.

Injury Reduction: According to sports medicine research, approximately 52% of rowing injuries can be directly attributed to technique errors, particularly in the lower back.

Muscular Balance: Proper rowing technique ensures balanced development of opposing muscle groups, preventing the muscle imbalances that commonly lead to postural problems and injuries.

Expert Tips from Professional Rowing Coaches

We've consulted with several Olympic rowing coaches during the development of our Merachfit rowing machines. Here are their top tips for beginners:

"The most common mistake I see is rushing the recovery. Remember that rowing is a rhythm sport—quick drive, slow return. Practice counting 'one-two-three' on the drive and 'one-two-three-four-five' on the recovery to develop this rhythm."

— Emily Jenkins, Olympic Rowing Coach

"Focus on connecting your feet to the handle through your body's core. Your power should flow seamlessly from the footplate through your legs, back, and finally arms. If any link in this chain is broken, power is lost."

— David Michaels, National Team Rowing Coach

"For beginners, less is more. Row at a lower stroke rate with good form rather than rushing to row fast. Speed will come naturally as your technique improves."

— Sarah Thompson, Collegiate Rowing Director

Start Your Rowing Journey with Merachfit

Learning proper rowing technique is the most important investment you can make in your rowing journey. At Merachfit, we've designed our rowing machines with proper biomechanics in mind, featuring ergonomic handles, smooth-sliding seats, and resistance systems that support natural movement patterns.

Ready to transform your rowing technique and experience the full benefits of your Merachfit rowing machine?

If you're still in the market for a premium rowing machine designed to support perfect technique, explore our collection and use code PERFECTFORM for 15% off your purchase.

At Merachfit, we're not just selling rowing machines—we're committed to helping you achieve your fitness goals with proper form, maximum efficiency, and minimal risk of injury. Your journey to perfect rowing technique starts today!